Buffer mechanism for diaphragm face plates



June 1934- G. G. GlLPlN BUFFER MECHANISM FOR DIAPHRAGM FACE PLATES Filed April 15. 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet, l

Rventor Garth 6.6152121,

A iorne June 19, 1934. G, G, GILPlN 1,963,361

BUFFER MECHANISM FOR DIAPHRAGM FACE PLATES Filed April 15, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet. 2

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Lvenior Garth G'- Gil 011w A-itor Patented June 19, 1934:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BUFFER MECHANISM FOR DIAPHRAGM FACE. PLATES Garth G. Gilpin, Riverside, 11]., assignor to Union Metal Products Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware The invention relates to railway passenger train cars, and more particularly to a mechanism positioned between the end wall of the car and the upper part of the diaphragm face plate, and an object of the invention is to provide a mechanism which yieldingly retains the upper part of the face plate at a predetermined distance from the end wall of the car and in the longitudinal center of the car when the car is not coupled to another car, but allows the face plate to move toward the end wall of the car when the car is coupled to another car and also to accommodate the movements of the car when running.

My device also yieldingly allows the face plate to assume an oblique position when the car is rounding a curve and/ or to move laterally of the car under service conditions. Furthermore, the device allows the face plate to move vertically relative to the end wall of the car to allow for the wearing of the lower face plate supports and/ or allows one end of the spring to move vertically relative to the other end of the spring because frequently the lower support at one side of the face plate wears more than the support at the other side of the face plate. Furthermore, the face plates and the bufiing mechanism are not always accurately installed on the car. My invention accommodates all of the above mentioned movements of the face plate without binding any of the assembled parts and at the same time returns the face plate to a predetermined relative position to the end wall of the car when free to do so.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide means to attach each end of the spring to the adjacent part of the car so that there is no frictional movement between the spring and the spring cradle, due to the compression of the spring, thereby eliminating wear and consequent loosening of parts which cause noise and failures.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for such an attachment whereby neither end of the spring can be detached from its cradle until one of the cradles has been detached from the car.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is aplan view of the upper bufier mechanism and associated parts in normal position.

Fig. 2 is an elevation of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side View of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is similar to Fig. '1 with the upper buffer mechanism compressed.

Fig. 5 issimilarto Fig. .l-showing the diaphragm faceplate in-an oblique position.

:Fig. 6 is a perspective of the end :of garrailway car showing the usual relation between the end wall diaphragm, diaphragm face plate and upper buffer mechanism.

Figs. 7 to 11 inclusive are enlargements showing the relation between one end of the spring and associated parts in different positions.

Fig. 12 shows a modified construction.

The usual parts of the car are shown, such as the diaphragm "2,-diaphragm face plate 3, end wall 4 and upper bulferspring 5.

In the form of my invention illustrated a semi elliptical spring 5 is secured adjacent its middle to the face plate '3 by any convenient means. Spaced apart brackets 8 are secured to the car wall 4 and the cradle is pivotally attached to 79 each bracket by the bolt or pin 12. The cradle 10 is provided with a substantially semi-cylindrical bearing 14 and "the spring is provided with an arcuate end portion 16 at each end thereof, which is preferably concentric with and engages the 12:5 semi-cylindrical bearing of the adjacent cradle so that when the spring is compressed, asshown in Fig. i er-assumes an oblique position, as shown in Fig. 5, the cradles swing outwardly. A stop 18 is provided on each bracket to limit the inwardly swinging movement of theadjacent-cradle; thereby limiting the outward expansion of the spring and the movement of the face plate3 away from the gear.

Fig. '7 shows the relation between the end of 85 the spring and the cradle 10 when the-device is in normal position-and Fig. 10 shows the same when the spring is pompressed, as shown in Fig. 4-, and when the face plate is obliquely positioned, :as shown in Fig. 5. It will be noted that the con- ,90 tour of the substantially cylindrical plane of engagement :'l4=16 between the end of the .spring and the cradle and the location of the pivot 'bolt 12 is such that the end of the spring is :not'bent when the spring is:compressed or expanded, and furthermore remains in engagement with the cradle. This :not only increases the resiliency of the spring but allows for a normal action of the spring. =Thei-arch of the semi-elliptic spring and the arch of the'arcuate plane of engagement m between the cradle and the end of the spring preferably project in opposite directions.

The ecradle '10 is provided with a shoulder 20 positioned substantially normal to the bearing 14 which is engaged by the laterally extending lip 22 on the end of the spring to prevent the spring from slipping off of the bearing of the cradle when compressed. 'The .part 24 -.on the cradle forming the shoulder preferably" also forms angauxiliary bearing spriace 2 6 in spaced relation spring, as shown in Fig. 11.

might also arise when a deep semi-elliptic spring is used.

The spring may be provided with a return bend 30 engaging the opposite side of the part 24 to cause the cradle to move with the spring when the spring is expanding.

The bolt or pin 32 extends through apertures in the flanges 34 and 36 of the cradle 10 and is positioned in close proximity to the spring to hold the spring in engagement with the bearing when the spring is not under compression, which conditionoccurs when the car is not coupled to another car. This bolt is not needed in the modification shown in Fig. 12.

The vertical width 38 of the bearing surface on the cradle is greater than the vertical width 40 of the end portion of the spring whereby the spring may move vertically relative to the cradle to allow the face plate to move vertically relative to the end wall.

Fig. 12 shows a modification wherein the cradle 50 is provided with a member 52'extending laterally from the bearing surface 54 which forms a shoulder 56 for engagement with a laterally extending lip 58 on the end of the spring. The member 52 is extended to provide a portion 60 engageable with the other side of the lip 58 of the spring so that this lip is positioned between spaced apart portions 52-60 of the cradle so that a movement of the lip in either direction swings the cradle with it. The spaced apart portions 5260 and the lip 58 are preferably obliquely disposed for easy engagement of the spring with the cradle. With this arrangement the spring is held in engagement with the cradle when the car is not coupled to another car without any additional means. It requires about three inches of compression of each spring to couple two cars, therefore, there is always about two hundred pounds pressure on each end of the spring when cars are coupled together. In this arrangement neither end of the spring can be detached from the cradle 50 until one of the cradles has been detached from its adjacent member, 8.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the preferred form of the invention, though it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, as it is obvious that various modifications thereof, within the scope of the claims, will ocour to persons skilled in the art.

I claim:

, 1. In a railway car having a Wall element and a diaphragm face plate element, a buffer mechanism positioned between said elements comprising spaced apart members on one of said elements, a cradle swingably mounted on each member, and a leaf spring having its medial portion secured to the other of said elements, the opposite ends of the spring and the cradles associated and arranged so that the cradles may swing to accommodate the normal spring movements of the spring without causing relative movement between the ends of the spring and the cradles.

2. In a railway car having a Wall element and a diaphragm face plate element, a buffer mechanism positioned between said elements comprising spaced apart members on one of said ele-v ments, a cradle swingably mounted on each member having a substantially cylindrical bearing surface, and a leaf spring having its medial portion secured to the other of said elements, each end of said spring comprising an arcuate portion concentric with and engaging said bearing surfaces so that the cradles may swing to accommodate the normal spring movements of the spring without causing relative movement between the ends of the spring and the cradles.

3. In a railway car having a wall element and a diaphragm face plate element, a buffer mechanism positioned between said elements comprising spaced apart members on one of said elements, a cradle'swingably mounted on each member having a substantially cylindrical bearing surface, and a semi-elliptic spring having its.

medial portion secured to the other of said elements, each end of said spring comprising an arcuate portion concentric with and engaging said bearing surfaces so that the cradles may swing to accommodate the normal spring movements of the spring without causing relative movement between the ends of the spring and the cradles, the arch of the semi-elliptic spring and the arches of said arcuate portions of the ends of the spring projecting in opposite directions.

4. In a railway car having a wall element and a diaphragm face plate element, a buffer mechanism positioned between said elements comprising spaced apart members on one ofsaid elements, a cradle swingably mounted on each member having a substantially cylindrical bearing surface, and a leaf spring having its medial portion secured to the other of said elements, each end of said spring comprising an arcuate portion concentric with and engaging said bearing surfaces so that the cradles may swing to accommodate the normal spring movements of the spring without causing relative movement between the ends of the spring and the cradles, the vertical widths of the bearing surfaces on the cradle being greater than the vertical widths of the end portions of the spring engaging the bearing surfaces whereby the spring may move vertically relative to the cradles. 7

5. In a railway car having a wall element and a diaphragm face plate element, a buffer mechanism positioned between said elements comprising spaced apart members on one of said elements, a cradle swingably mounted on each member, and a leaf spring having its medial portion secured to the other of said elements, the opposite ends of the spring and the cradles associated and arranged so that the cradles may swing to accommodate the normal spring movements of the spring without causing relative movement between the ends of the spring and the cradles, and means to retain the spring in operative engagement with the cradles when the spring is relieved of pressure.

6. In a railway car having a wall element and a diaphragm face plate element, a buffing mechanism positioned between said elements comprising spaced apart members on one of said elements, a cradle swingably mounted on each member having a bearing surface and a shoulder, and a leaf spring with the middle thereof attached to the other of said elements with each end thereof engaging said bearing surface and provided with a laterally extending lip engaging said shoulder.

'7. In a railway car having a wall element and a diaphragm face plate element, a bufiing mechanism positioned between said elements comprising spaced apart members on one of said elements,

a cradle swingably mounted on each member having a bearing surface and a part extending angularly from said bearing surface to provide a shoulder and an auxiliary bearing surface, and a leaf spring with the middle thereof attached to the other of said elements with each end thereof engaging said bearing surface and provided with a laterally extending lip engaging said shoulder, each of said lips having an extension engageable with said auxiliary bearing upon an abnormal movement of the spring.

8. In a railway car having a wall element and a diaphragm face plate element, a bufling mechanism positioned between said elements comprising spaced apart members on one of said elements, a cradle swingably mounted on each member having a bearing surface and a part extending angularly from said bearing surface to provide a shoulder, and a leaf spring with the middle thereof attached to the other of said elements with each end thereof engaging said bearing surface and provided with a laterally extending lip engaging said shoulder, each of said lips having an extension provided with a return bend engageable with the opposite side of said part.

9. In a railway car having a wall element and a diaphragm face plate element, a bufiing mechanism positioned between said elements comprising spaced apart members on one of said elements, a cradle swingably mounted on each member having a bearing surface, a part extending angularly from said bearing surface to provide a shoulder and a portion spaced apart from said shoulder, and a leaf spring with the middle thereof attached to the other of said elements with each end thereof engaging said bearing surface and provided with a laterally extending lip engaging said shoulder and positioned between the shoulder and said portion.

10. In a railway car having a Wall element and a diaphragm face plate element, a bufiing mechanism positioned between said elements comprising spaced apart members on one of said elements, a cradle swingably mounted on each member, and a leaf spring with the middle thereof attached to the other of said elements, the ends of the spring associated and arranged with the cradles so that neither end of the spring can be detached from its cradle until one of the cradles has been detached from its member.

GARTH G. GILPIN. 

